Hardworking teacher, 28, lived as recluse to build impressive nest egg...then scammers got him on the phone
A hardworking young teacher lived a reclusive life to build up his savings - but fell victim to evil phone scammers who stole it all with a few strokes of a keyboard.
Russell Leahy, 28, practiced a frugal lifestyle by avoiding going out on the weekends and traveling, but his life came to a screeching halt when he realized he'd been a victim of a scam.
Leahy, of Fort Worth in Texas, lost over $32,000 after he gave his bank account information to a fraudster who manipulated him into believing they were with Chase Bank's fraud department.
The teacher said the scammers mastered Chase's protocol by playing the bank's recording at the start of the call that says, 'This call is being recorded for quality and training purposes.'
The fraudsters quoted Leahy's exact bank balances and manipulated him into believing that his account had been compromised.
Leahy believed that he needed to move his money into a new account to protect his savings, so he gave the information to protect the cash he had worked for.
The scammers also sent him text messages and told him not to alert the tellers at his bank, as they were investigating a leak.
Leahy hadn't thought anything of it because of the scammers' ability to mirror Chase's fraud process until he noticed his money was gone.
'I had literally never felt like the wind had been taken out of my sails before,' Leahy told local ABC affiliate, WFAA News.
'I'd never really felt like I was gonna pass out before, but it really felt like the end of the world for me.'
Leahy said the experience was 'violating' and felt like he was 'being taken advantage of.' He filed a claim with Chase Bank, but only received $2,247.85.
'These types of scams are heartbreaking. We urge all consumers to ignore phone, text or internet requests for money or access to their computer or bank accounts,' a representative for Chase told DailyMail.com.
'Banks and legitimate companies won't make these requests, but scammers will.'
Fraud differs from scams as fraud involves someone illegally gaining access to an account without the holder's permission.
Scams, on the other hand, are 'a deceptive scheme or trick used to cheat someone out of their money or other valuable assets,' according to Chase.
Scammers use manipulative information to deceive victims with non-existent products, phishing emails, fake websites, and spoofed Caller IDs.
Leahy has started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help alleviate the stress of living paycheck-to-paycheck while he fights Chase for his money.
'I've hired a lawyer. I've filed complaints with the CFPB, the Texas Attorney General, and the FTC,' he wrote in the description.
'I've done everything a person can do and I'm still left trying to survive on what little I have left.'
Leahy said he filed a fraud claim with Chase, including a police report, screenshots of the texts and calls between the scammers, IRS documentation, and ATM receipts.
He also claimed the bank sent a PSA email just days after he submitted a claim, describing the scam that he was a victim of.
Despite the stresses he's endured, Leahy said he hopes the silver lining is that others learn from his story.
'I'd rather me be the sacrificial lamb for the rest of these people and maybe save other people's money from being stolen,' Leahy told WFAA.
Chase advises customers not to answer calls or texts from a representative telling them to send money to another account.
The bank never asks customers to send money to themselves. Customers who receive similar calls should hang up and call the number on the back of their Chase card.
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